Legend and Mythology of Mata Vaishno Devi

Vaishno Devi Yatra is one of the most revered pilgrimages in Hinduism with millions of devotes partaking in the pilgrimage every year. Several legends and mythologies (The Story of Vaishno Devi) have been associated with the Mother Goddess Vaishno Devi and how the pilgrimage came to be.

Birth of the Goddess Vaishnavi

According to the popular Vaishno Devi story, when the Divine Mother was busy fighting the demons, Her three main manifestations – Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati got together and pooled their collective Tejas or spiritual strength. A blinding white light emerged from the collective Tejas and a young girl emerged from this coalescence. Upon asking why she has been created, the goddesses explained her that to her that they had created her so that she would live on earth and spend her time in upholding righteousness.

“Now, go and take birth in the house of Ratankar and his wife who resides in the southern part of India, and are great devotees of ours. Live on earth. Uphold righteousness and evolve yourself spiritually so that you reach higher levels of consciousness. Once you have attained the appropriate level of consciousness you will merge into Vishnu, the creator and become one with him.” – Devis blessed her.

Sometime later, a very beautiful girl child was born to Ratankar and his wife. The couple named the child Vaishnavi. Right from her childhood, the girl showed insatiable hunger for knowledge and spirituality. Subsequently, Vaishnavi started looking into her inner self for knowledge, and soon learned the art of meditation and realized that meditation and penance only could bring her close to her greater objective.

Vaishnavi meeting with Lord Rama

After realizing her greater objective of becoming one with the creator Vishnu, she left all household comforts and went deep into the forest for meditation. Meanwhile, Lord Rama, during his fourteen years of exile happened to visit Vaishnavi who recognized him immediately as no ordinary being but the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and immediately asked him to merge her into himself so that she could become one with the supreme creator. However Lord Rama, knowing that it was not the appropriate time, dissuaded her. He told her that the appropriate time for her being one with the creator had not come, and that time would come eventually in ‘Kaliyug’ when He (Rama) would be in his incarnation of ‘Kalki’. Rama also directed her to meditate, and set up an Ashram at the base of Trikuta hills. Vaishnavi did as told and set up her ashram in the Trikuta hills in north India.

Vaishnavi beheads Bhairon Nath

With her glory spreading far and wide, Mahayogi Guru Goraksh Nath who had a vision of Lord Rama and Vaishnavi episode, asked his most able disciple Bhairon Nath to search for her. Bhairon Nath on locating the ashram started observing Vaishnavi secretly and was smitten by Vaishnavi’s extraordinary beauty. He began to pester Vaishnavi to marry him. Vaishnavi decided to flee away into the mountains to continue her meditation undisturbed. Bhairon Nath however chased her to her destination.

Vaishnavi after halting at (present day) Banganga, Charan Paduka, and Ardhkuwari, finally reached the Holy Cave shrine. When Bhairon Nath continued to follow her despite the goddess trying to avoid a confrontation, the goddess was compelled to kill him. Bhairon Nath met his ultimate fate when the goddess, just outside the mouth of the cave, beheaded him. Upon realizing his mistake, Bhairon Nath asked for forgiveness. The almighty Mother Goddess had mercy on Bhairon and gave him a boon that every devotee of the goddess would have to have the Darshans of Bhairon Nath Temple after having the Darshans of the Goddess and only then would the pilgrimage of a devotee be complete.

Meanwhile, Vaishnavi decided to shed off her human form and assuming the face of a rock she immersed herself into meditation forever. Thus Vaishnavi, in the form of a five and a half feet tall rock with three heads or the Pindies on the top is the ultimate destination of a devotee. These Pindies constitute the Sanctum Sanctorum of the holy cave known as the shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, which is revered by one and all.